SEBASTIAN CO., Ark. -
On August 9, Corporal Hobe Runion was called to a home on the Sebastian County line with Oklahoma on a domestic disturbance call that he says was very disturbing.
"I've worked a lot of different cases in years in law enforcement, but I've never worked a case where someone caught somebody on fire," Runion said Friday.
He said the resident, Petrina Mendez, had called a local EMS unit after an argument with her boyfriend, which ended when investigators say he doused her with gasoline and set her on fire.
"She said she really didn't think he would do it, and she went to turn on the water and turned back, and right then she said he lit her on fire and she went up in flames," said Runion.
Authorities say Mendez boyfriend immediately covered her with a blanket, and even rubbed ice on her skin to try to treat the burns. The whole time, he was telling her not to call authorities, or go to the hospital.
"My boyfriend poured gasoline on me... I'm on fire, I'm on fire!" Petrina shouted in a recording from the EMS unit. Operators tried to calm her down for several minutes, so they could find out where she lived. She can even be heard sobbing, "I'm going to die here," at one point in the recording.
Help eventually arrived, and Mendez was flown to the burn unit at Children's Hospital in Little Rock. She had third- and second-degree burns on forty percent of her body, and couldn't speak until this week, when she told her story to authorities.
"The important thing was she able to tell me that without a doubt who did this, that he did light her on fire, that it wasn't an accident, she didn't do it to herself," said Runion.
Investigators already have a warrant out for Mendez boyfriend, who they say is an illegal alien and believe is named Rigoberto Saenz. They say he's a roofer that follows work between Kansas, Texas and Arkansas, which will make him difficult to track down.
"That's going to be the hard part is finding him, and I have no doubt we will find him eventually," Runion said.
If you have any information that would help authorities in this case, call the River Valley Crimestoppers line at 78-CRIME. You will remain anonymous, and could be eligible for a cash reward.
"I've worked a lot of different cases in years in law enforcement, but I've never worked a case where someone caught somebody on fire," Runion said Friday.
He said the resident, Petrina Mendez, had called a local EMS unit after an argument with her boyfriend, which ended when investigators say he doused her with gasoline and set her on fire.
"She said she really didn't think he would do it, and she went to turn on the water and turned back, and right then she said he lit her on fire and she went up in flames," said Runion.
Authorities say Mendez boyfriend immediately covered her with a blanket, and even rubbed ice on her skin to try to treat the burns. The whole time, he was telling her not to call authorities, or go to the hospital.
"My boyfriend poured gasoline on me... I'm on fire, I'm on fire!" Petrina shouted in a recording from the EMS unit. Operators tried to calm her down for several minutes, so they could find out where she lived. She can even be heard sobbing, "I'm going to die here," at one point in the recording.
Help eventually arrived, and Mendez was flown to the burn unit at Children's Hospital in Little Rock. She had third- and second-degree burns on forty percent of her body, and couldn't speak until this week, when she told her story to authorities.
"The important thing was she able to tell me that without a doubt who did this, that he did light her on fire, that it wasn't an accident, she didn't do it to herself," said Runion.
Investigators already have a warrant out for Mendez boyfriend, who they say is an illegal alien and believe is named Rigoberto Saenz. They say he's a roofer that follows work between Kansas, Texas and Arkansas, which will make him difficult to track down.
"That's going to be the hard part is finding him, and I have no doubt we will find him eventually," Runion said.
If you have any information that would help authorities in this case, call the River Valley Crimestoppers line at 78-CRIME. You will remain anonymous, and could be eligible for a cash reward.
